Monster: Was competing in the Olympics always your goal?

AJ Mleczko: Hockey was always my passion, and I love the Olympic Games so much. I can remember thinking how unfair it was that women couldn't play hockey in the Olympic Games. We always watched the Olympic Games in our family. I'd wait for the "Up Close and Personal" segments on the athletes, and I would imagine my "Up Close and Personal." It would be me in my hockey gear at four in the morning, eating my breakfast in the backseat of the car on my way to practice. That would be my clip.

Mc: What was your reaction when women's ice hockey became an Olympic sport?

AM: I remember exactly where I was. I was a junior at Taft, the private school I went to in Watertown, Connecticut. I was in the main hallway, and I heard people talking about it. I remember thinking, right there, that's what I want to do. I had no idea if that was a realistic option or not. I had no idea where I stood, but I knew that's what I wanted.

Mc: Did it make you work harder as an athlete?

AM: My determination may have hardened a bit, but it didn't really make me work harder. I always worked really hard.

Mc: Did you suddenly feel more pressure on the ice?

AM: My high school team didn't really change, but I played for the Connecticut Polar Bears, a state team, and I felt it a lot more there. Four of us from that team play for the US National Team.

Mc: You went on from high school to play hockey at Harvard and became the youngest member of the US National Team, playing in tournaments during the summer and school vacations. After your junior year, however, you were faced with a decision. How difficult was the choice to take time off from Harvard to pursue your Olympic dream?

AM: In August of 1996, Coach (Ben) Smith told us that with the Olympic Games just a year and a half away, we'd be practicing a lot more and that anyone still in college would have to take a year off. I went home and took a whole week to think about it, and made my decision. In retrospect it seems like such an easy decision to make, but at the time it was the hardest decision I'd ever made. Coach Smith made no guarantees. I knew I could get hurt or not make the team. But in the end I wanted no regrets. It's the biggest lesson I've learned in life. You have to risk a lot to [be] rewarded a lot.

Mc: Were the Olympic Games all you expected?

AM: Everything about the Olympic Games was like a fairy tale. Our team was so fantastic -- it was such a wonderful group of athletes, and people off the ice. And to walk into the stadium with Team USA is magical. Then, I've been a hockey fan my whole life, and I walk into the dining hall and Wayne Gretzky is sitting there eating lunch. That's just amazing. I couldn't ask for anything better.

Mc: Does one moment stand out?

AM: The celebration on the ice after we won the gold medal, and singing the national anthem with my parents, my brother and sister, and my then boyfriend -- now husband -- in the stands. It's really something I'll never forget.

Mc: So why not leave the sport on that high note?

AM: Because I still have such a passion. I love ice hockey. I love to play it, I love to watch it. I love everything. There was really no question that I'd come back. For me, personally, I knew there was more I could do. I knew I could be faster and stronger.

Mc: Are you?

AM: I'm a better hockey player today than four years ago, absolutely.

Mc: Has training been more intense for these Olympics?

AM: Last year was the first year US Hockey had us in residency from September 25 through April, which has been really good for the team. But I got married on September 23, so they gave me six days off for a honeymoon and that was it. It was hard, but everyone has sacrifices, and that was one of mine.

Mc: Have the events of September 11 and the aftermath had an effect on the team?

AM: You can't avoid it, everyone is affected by it directly or indirectly. As Americans, we're all thinking about it. We recently called off a tournament in Finland because of security, so it's there. But patriotism is at an all-time high in my life, and I love to hear the national anthem and "God Bless America." I've always been proud to wear USA on my jersey, but maybe this year it will make me a touch prouder, maybe it will mean a little bit more.

Mc: Is there more pressure in trying to repeat?

AM: No, it feels the same. And if there is more, we've got more experience now and we can handle it better. We know what to expect, we know our bodies better and what we need.

MC: Is the US team the favorite going into the games?

AM: No, Canada is seeded first. But our goal is a gold medal.

Mc: Do you have any career plans for your life after hockey?

AM: I'm not sure. Every time I catch myself thinking about it and worrying about it, I tell myself, "Don't think about that. Just focus on this." I've worked so hard to get to this point, that I'm just concentrating on hockey right now.

Mc: What advice can you give to young girls imagining their own "Up Close and Personal" moments?

AM: Follow your heart, follow your dream and don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do. All of us on this team know that, because we played a sport that girls didn't play. But you have to take a risk. Do what you want to do, play the sport you have a passion for and don't worry about the consequences.